International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1930)

— 47 — In our country as elsewhere children attend the cinema very regularly ; some of them for instance go there every day (17 of the children we interrogated stated that they did). The « Besprisorny » children are the most assiduous cinema-goers ; their average attendance is 1 and a third times per week ; the workers' children come next (1 and a seventh times per week) ; the children of civil servants and of the lower middle classes foot the list, going there only 0.9 times per week. What is the explanation of this fact ? The frequency with which children attend the cinema depends on their social position. The « Besprisorny » vagabonds who are always about the streets and are idle by force of circumstances, are attracted by the cinema because it is the only place that admits them ; they are driven away from theatres, and have no means to enable them to get into libraries and schools. Thus the only pastimes open to them are the cinema and playing cards. They try to sneak into the halls without being noticed, but sometimes they pay their entrance. Workers' children, who also have scant means, choose the cinema because it is the cheapest form of entertainment ; theatres are very expensive, and then also the subjects dealt with by the film are simpler and more comprehensible to the children than those dealt with in the theatres. It should be noted that frequentation of the cinema varies with the age of the children ; children from 8-10 years go there 1.8 tims a week ; those aged from 11-12, 1.3 times a week and those aged from 14-16 go there only once a week. This is due to the fact that with the advance of age other and more serious interests attract children — theatres, libraries, etc., and as a consequence their attendance at the cinema begins to fall off. It is interesting to note that boys go to the cinema more frequently than girls : the percentage is 1.18 times a week for the boys and 1.2 times for the girls. This is explained by the fact that the boys find it easier to get into the cinema than the girls, and also by the fact that the girls are more inclined for domestic occupations at home. This difference is much more striking in countries where the difference between the conditions of life and education of the two sexes is very pronounced. Prof. Langeberg, of Cologne, noted this fact in the High School of that town, the boy pupils of which attended the cinema 34.4 times a year while the girls went only 4.01 times. It must be stated that the children go to the cinema much less frequently than they would like to. This is due to lack of means (69 %) ; for this reason most of the children urge that the price of the tickets should be lowered ; lack of time (16 %) ; bad eyesight (2 %), and rarely owing to indifference (13 %). Most of the children go to the cinema in their spare after-school hours; 72 % go there on Saturday and Sunday. The « Besprisorny » waifs, on the other hand, who are always free, go there all days of the week, but among them also we find 56 % who prefer going there on Sundays or holidays because the impression made by the film is enhanced by the presence of holiday crowds. The children go to the cinema much more often in the winter. This is explained by the fact that they are occupied all day in winter and feel the need of the rest and diversion that the cinema affords, and also because our halls are not well adapted to summer shows, being cramped and stuffy. Summer takes the second place (16 %); autumn third (7 %), because the children are busy preparing for the school year, and spring comes last (2 %), because the fine season attracts them to country outings and they have no time to go to the cinema. The « Besprisorny » vagabonds, who are free all the year, pay no regard to seasons. 42 % of them go to the cinema all the year round. Summertime, however, is the favourite season with them (30 %). During this season, in fact, most of the seats are occupied by children of this class. The enquiry we have made shows most clearly that the majority of the children (66 %) prefer the cinema to the theatre ; 33 % prefer the theatre, and 1 % like them both equally well. We have been able to note that the children in general prefer adventure films, such as